Under Asome, SchoolPay will support the payment of a child’s school fees for the next three school terms, subject to the applicable verification process and programme requirements.For many families, keeping a child in school is a long-term commitment built around planning, sacrifice and consistency. Parents and guardians organise their finances term by term, often making difficult choices to ensure that education remains uninterrupted.But when the person carrying that responsibility passes away, that stability can change almost immediately.For a family already dealing with loss, school fees can quickly become another source of uncertainty. For the child, the concern is even more immediate: will my education continue?That is the question SchoolPay is seeking to address through Asome by SchoolPay, a new initiative designed to support education continuity in unfortunate event of the demise of the ParentUnder Asome, SchoolPay will support the payment of a child’s school fees for the next three school terms, subject to the applicable verification process and programme requirements. Parents and guardians using SchoolPay will not need to complete a separate registration or make an additional payment to access the benefit, subject to programme requirements.Payments will be made directly to the child’s school, helping ensure that the support remains focused on keeping the child in education.Asome by SchoolPay is expected to become active from November 2026, subject to final rollout confirmation.A practical model for education continuityThe process is designed to work through the existing relationship between the family, the school and SchoolPay.Where a registered parent or guardian passes away, the school will notify SchoolPay after being informed by the family. SchoolPay will then engage both the school and the family to verify the circumstances and complete the required documentation before the benefit is activated.Fincom CEO Charity Atukwatsa explains: “The process begins with the school. Once the family notifies the school of the death of the registered parent or guardian, the school informs SchoolPay.”The verification process may include documentation such as a death certificate and evidence of previous school-fee payments. Once this is complete, SchoolPay will begin paying the child’s school fees for the following three terms.The initiative also recognises that a child’s education journey may change during that period. If, for example, a registered parent or guardian passes away while a child is completing Primary Seven and the child transitions to secondary school the following term, the support can continue at the new school for the next three terms, subject to the applicable programme requirements.That flexibility is important because education continuity is not simply about paying the next invoice. It is about helping ensure that a disruption in a family’s circumstances does not automatically become a disruption in the child’s schooling.From payments platform to education ecosystemAsome sits within the broader Do More with SchoolPay campaign and reflects a wider shift in how SchoolPay is creating value across the education sector.While SchoolPay has traditionally been known for simplifying education payments for parents and schools, the platform has steadily expanded beyond the transaction itself.Today, the wider SchoolPay ecosystem includes tools and services designed around different aspects of the school, parent and student experience.Through S-Wallet, parents can send pocket money to students digitally. SchoolPay’s ERP solutions support schools in managing student records, attendance, academics, finance, accounting, examinations and other administrative functions. SchoolPay Medical further extends that ecosystem by helping schools manage student medical information and related health processes.Asome builds on that same thinking.Rather than viewing SchoolPay only as the point at which a school fee is paid, the initiative reflects a broader ambition to build value around the full education journey — including moments when families need more than a payment channel.Doing more across the education journeyEducation does not exist in isolation. It sits within an ecosystem of schools, parents, students, financial institutions and technology partners, each playing a role in keeping the journey moving.Asome is one example of how SchoolPay is extending its role within that ecosystem.For a family facing the loss of a parent or guardian, three school terms can provide something particularly important: time.Time to reorganise household responsibilities. Time for another guardian to assume financial responsibility. And, most importantly, time for the child to remain focused on school while the family finds its footing.That is the broader proposition behind Do More with SchoolPay: moving beyond the payment itself and building solutions around the realities that shape the education journey.Asome by SchoolPay. When life takes a turn, education goes on.The post When a Parent Dies, Does Education Stop? SchoolPay Says No with ‘Asome’ Initiative appeared first on Business Focus.